The Importance of Health Insurance in India:
Protecting Your Health and Finances​
In today’s world, health has become a top priority, and ensuring that we have access to quality healthcare is more important than ever. In India, where healthcare costs are rising rapidly, having health insurance is not just a financial safeguard but a necessity for every individual and family. Health insurance provides a safety net, protecting you from unexpected medical expenses and ensuring that you get the best possible treatment without worrying about the financial burden.
In this blog, we'll dive into why health insurance is essential, its key benefits, and why it should be a must-have for every Indian household.​
Why Health Insurance is essential​
1. Rising Healthcare Costs
India has seen a significant increase in healthcare expenses over the past decade, with hospital bills, doctor consultations, diagnostic tests, and medicines becoming increasingly expensive. Without health insurance, even a single hospitalization could drain your savings or push you into debt. Health insurance ensures that you are financially prepared to handle these unexpected expenses, allowing you to focus on your recovery rather than worrying about how to pay the bills.
2. Protection Against Medical Emergencies
Medical emergencies can occur at any time, and they often come without warning. Whether it's a sudden accident, critical illness, or the need for surgery, health insurance covers these emergencies, ensuring that you receive timely and necessary medical care. In a country where out-of-pocket expenses are the primary mode of healthcare payment, health insurance acts as a financial buffer, allowing you to access quality treatment without delay.
3. Access to Quality Healthcare
In India, there is often a disparity between public and private healthcare facilities, with private hospitals offering better infrastructure and services. However, these private healthcare services come at a high cost. Health insurance bridges the gap, giving you access to top-tier hospitals and specialists without having to worry about the financial burden. With the right health insurance plan, you can choose the best hospital and doctor for your needs, ensuring you receive optimal care.
4. Coverage for Pre- and Post-Hospitalization Expenses
Health insurance not only covers hospitalization costs but also extends to pre- and post-hospitalization expenses. This includes costs for consultations, diagnostic tests, medicines, and follow-up treatments. In India, where medical treatment often involves multiple visits to doctors and diagnostic centers, this coverage is essential for managing the complete cost of treatment.​
5. Preventive Health Check-Ups
Many health insurance policies in India offer free preventive health check-ups, allowing you to monitor your health regularly. Early detection of diseases or health issues can save lives and reduce treatment costs. These check-ups encourage you to maintain your health and address potential problems before they escalate, ensuring that you remain in good health.​
6. Cashless Treatment
One of the most significant advantages of health insurance in India is the availability of cashless treatment. Most insurance providers have a network of hospitals where you can avail treatment without paying anything upfront. The insurance company directly settles the bill with the hospital, reducing the financial stress during medical emergencies. This feature is especially helpful in emergency situations where arranging large sums of money quickly can be difficult.
7. Tax Benefits
In India, health insurance also comes with tax benefits under Section 80D of the Income Tax Act. You can claim deductions on premiums paid for health insurance for yourself, your spouse, children, and even your parents. These deductions can range from ₹25,000 to ₹50,000 or more, depending on the age and coverage, providing you with significant savings while ensuring health coverage.
8. Coverage for Critical Illnesses
Many health insurance policies offer add-ons or riders that cover critical illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, kidney failure, and more. Treatment for such illnesses is often prolonged and costly, but with critical illness coverage, you receive a lump sum payout that helps cover these expenses, ensuring you don’t drain your savings in the process.
Must-Have Features in a Health Insurance Policy​
While selecting a health insurance plan, it's important to look for certain essential features to ensure comprehensive coverage:​
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Comprehensive Coverage: Choose a plan that covers hospitalization, pre- and post-hospitalization, day-care procedures, and critical illness.
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Cashless Treatment: Opt for policies that offer a wide network of hospitals providing cashless facilities.
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Lifetime Renewability: Ensure the policy can be renewed throughout your lifetime, so you remain covered as you age.
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No Claim Bonus: Look for policies that offer
What are the benefits of Health insurance?
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Cashless Hospitalisation
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Sum insured rebound
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Save Tax up to ₹ 75,000
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Instant claim settlement
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Fitness Discount
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Cashless home health care
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​24x7 Customer Support
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No room rent restriction
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Long Term policy discount
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Instant Policy Issuance
What is covered in health insurance policy?
Sum Insured Rebound
For my health Suraksha Health Insurance an additional sum insured equivalent to the admissible claim amount upto a maximum of the basic sum insured.
Day Care Procedures
Your hospitalization lasted for just a day that doesn’t mean it remains excluded. We cover 586 day care procedures in this health insurance plan.
Pre-hospitalisation Cover
Before hospitalisation, there are expenses towards doctor consultations, check-ups and prescriptions. We provide full coverage of such expenses 60 days prior to hospitalisation with HDFC ERGO Health Insurance.
Post-hospitalisation Cover
This health insurance plan offers full coverage of expenses incurred on doctor consultations, rehabilitation charges etc. till 180 days after discharge from hospital.
Mental Healthcare
If any of the insured member suffers from mental illness, the expenses for hospitalization gets covered in this health insurance plan.
Home Healthcare
If your doctor recommends treatment at home, you can avail the services right at your home that too with ^^^cashless facility. Get this health insurance now.
Hospitalisation Expenses
Everything from bed-charges, nursing charges, blood tests, ICU and consultation fees gets covered effortlessly with this health insurance.
Road Ambulance Cover
This health insurance plan covers expenses for transfer from hospital to home in an ambulance (within the same city) is also covered if the insured encounters life-threatening medical emergency.
Organ Donor Expenses
For a noble deed as organ donation, HDFC ERGO Health Insurance cover the organ harvesting expenses incurred to the donor in case the insured has to undergo organ transplant.
Alternative Treatments (Non-Allopathic)
We support the healing powers of Ayurveda, Unnani, Sidha and Homeopathy treatment. No matter what type of treatment you prefer, we are always there for you in the time of need. Get this health insurance now.
Recovery Benefit
This health insurance plan offers a lump sum amount of Rs.5000 as recovery benefit if hospitalization exceeds 10 continuous days so that taking care of household expenses doesn’t stress you out.
What is not included in Health Insurance Policy?
Adventure Sport injuries
Adventures can give you an adrenaline rush, but when coupled with accidents, it can be hazardous. Our health insurance plan does not cover accidents encountered while participating in adventure sports.
Self-inflicted injuries
You might think of causing injury to your precious self, but we don’t want you to hurt yourself. Our health insurance plan does not cover self-imposed injuries.
War
War can be disastrous and unfortunate. However, our health insurance plan does not cover any claim that are caused due to wars.
Participation in defense operations
Our health insurance plan does not cover accidents while you are participating in defense (Army/Navy/Air Force) operations.
Venereal or Sexually transmitted diseases
We do understand the criticality of your disease. However, our health insurance plan does not cover venereal or sexually transmitted diseases.
Treatment of Obesity or Cosmetic Surgery
Treatment of obesity or cosmetic surgery is not eligible for coverage under your health insurance plan .
Save Tax with Health Insurance
Tax deduction based on medical insurance premium paid
Under Section 80D, you can get a deduction of up to Rs. 25,000 per budgetary year for medical insurance premium. The premium paid for a health insurance plan can be for you, your spouse, and dependent children. If you or your spouse is a senior citizen, then this limit can go up to Rs. 50,000.
Deduction on preventive health check-ups
You can also claim tax benefits on preventive health check-ups annually under Section 80D of the Income Tax Act. You can claim up to INR 5,000 every budgetary year as expenses incurred for preventive health check-ups.
Deduction on medical insurance premium payment for parents
If you are paying medical insurance premium for guardians then you can also claim an additional deduction of up to INR 25,000 every budgetary year. If your parents or either of them is a senior citizen, then this limit can go up to INR 30,000.
6 Reasons to buy Health Insurance
1. Lifestyle Diseases: Stress, pollution, unhealthy eating habits, gadget addiction, and undisciplined lives have made lifestyle diseases widespread. It’s important to buy a health insurance plan to tackle medical expenses rising due to lifestyle issues.
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2. Inadequate insurance: Do you think you are securely covered under one insurance policy against all threats? Be informed that your employee health cover may prove insufficient. These days medical science has advanced hence it’s important to get the higher sum insured health plans.
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3. Beat medical inflation: The cost of medical treatment in India is always on the rise. Funding medical expenses on your own will lead to financial loss hence it’s important to buy a health insurance plan to beat the medical inflation.
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4. Big Savings: Avail discounts on paying for 2/3 years policy tenure, also buying insurance policy for more than 2 family members on individual sum insured basis can fetch you more discounts. Be a smart insured and keep looking for long term discounts and save your premiums.
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5. Early Decision: Getting insurance early has innumerable benefits right from lower premiums to wider coverage options. With less probability of having existing health conditions, you get the benefit of lower premium while buying a policy.
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6. Tax Savings: Insurance is a tax saving instrument. Enjoy up to ^^Rs.75, 000 Tax savings annually under section 80D with health insurance plans. Isn’t it amazing? You can save tax and secure your health too.
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